Anyone had any trouble with their 08 avenger gearshift stuck in park? Tried the manual override and that didn't work either.
Was able to somehow get it into gear for a second - long enough to get back up driveway using needlenose pliers and alot of muscle - haven't been able to do it again.
Now key also stuck in ignition - safety measure but worried battery will be dead in am.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

I purchased my car used in November 2009. On 6/25/10, my daughter and I traveled to Hollywood, CA from Bakersfield, CA for a day of shopping. On our way home, around 11:30pm, we stopped at the gas station before traveling home, and without any warning, the gearshift was stuck into park. We turned the car on and off, applied pressure to the break, turned the steering wheel right to left, let the car sit hoping when it cooled down the gear would shift, checked the transmission fluid, and nothing worked. My sister and her husband drove to Hollywood to pick us up. We remained in a closed gas station, sitting near the gas pump, until they arrived around 3:00am. My brother-in-law removed the consol where the gearshift was placed and messed around with a piece of pink plastic that he stated had something to do with the gearshift. After 30 minutes, he was able to put the car into drive. We had to drive the car home in fear that it would jump out of gear. When we arrived home, put the car in park, and tried to shift the gear into drive again, the gearshift was stuck again. This was a trip that could have turned deadly.

 

Same thing happened to my daughter yesterday. Took the car shopping and got it stuck in Park at the Walmart, fortumately 1/4 mile from my house. I took console apart and tried everything I could, but it was hopelessly stuck/jammed somehow in the plastic gearshift mechanizm. The shifter cable was definitely not the problem, nor the electric solenoid actuated when you step on the brake. I finally overpowered it , thinking that I could not break what was already broken anyway. Drove home, and today the shifter feels mis-adjusted going into Drive, it wants to drift back forward into Neutral. Car is still under warrenty and will go to dealership for a fix. I am disgusted by such claptrap designs purportedly for "safety"..

 

Had exact same problem with my 2008 Avenger R/T. Could not shift out of park. Manual override under the cup holder would not work either. Had to have it towed to the dealer, and have a $14 sensor replaced.

 

It is the what everyone is referring to as the "pink thingy" for chrysler vehicles. It is a crappy flimsy piece of plastic and can be replaced with an aluminum one from rockauto.com, search for your car and year, its under the transmission section and is called the shift interlock latch. our's cost 18.82 and 10 for ground shipping. dealer wanted to charge 80 for part and 150 for labor. look through other posts for great detailed info on how to replace. good luck.

 

I have a 2008 Dodge Avenger SE with roughly 60,000 miles on it. Today the wife calls me in a panick saying the gear shift wouldn't come out of park I told her to yank on it and she managed to get it into reverse and get out of the parking spot and thankfully face foreward. I walked 2 miles to where she was at and took the column apart looking for answers. After a while my anger kicked in and I pulled hard on it and broke something I would later find out to be some sort of lock made of pink plastic. I got it into 3rd gear but at least it moved so I drove it home. I took a closer look and removed the rest of the busted lock. So far the problem is solved and everything works as it should. it goes into every gear including park with no issues. So at this point I will not take it to dodge to have it fixed as I heard it is a $331 fix. $60 for the lock if you do it yourself (I am not paying $60 for a piece of plastic). No one has answers on how to fix it so if you can or know someone who can, Remove it. Also the alternator is known to go bad because for some reason there is a clutch in it. $370 new from dodge. $221-299 from advance used. Fortunately chrysler used the same alternator on the dodge calibers and jeep compasses so go to a junkyard and get one off of a wrecked vehicle with low miles as I did and only cost me $55 with 7,000 miles on it which is a heck of alot better than $370 new. I hope I was able to help anyone stuck in these situations.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWSS_rbxil0

try looking at these to get your car to shift again tonight.

won't shift into reverse drive gear / can't shift into reverse drive gear / will not shift into reverse drive gear / cannot shift into reverse drive gear / quick fix / cheap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8GMgz0m_hI

 

This is a known warranty/recall issue, had to have mine replaced the first week I owned it.

 

I have a 2008 dodge avenger SXT and the other day i went to get gas and i put the call into park but when i was done it was stuck in park i found a way to get it out of park .............* i removed the cup holder liner and the is a hole in the first one i was able to stick my finger in to it so that i can press the button but in order to shift it you have to press the brake, the button, and shift at the same time in order for it to work*............ I wanted to make sure this was a recall before i go and pay to get it fix so can you please let me know??? Thank You!!!

 

Yes, angelica94, its a recall. I had to pay to have mine fixed before the recall and Dodge refunded my money plus tow bill.